Machine for folding fabrics.



No. 630,!89. Patented Aug. l, 1899. A. DAUVERGNE.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING FABRICS- (Application filed Sept. 9, 1898. '(NoModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet P FIE- 4 FIZ3.-

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Patented Aug. l, !899. A. DAUVERGNE. MACHINE FOR FOLDING FABRICS.

(Application filed Sept. 9, 1898.)

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Unitnn drames* ANDR DAUVERGNE,

OF LYONS, FRANCE.

MACHlNE FOR FOLDJNG FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Paten't No. 630,189, dated August1, 1899.

Application filed September 9,1898. Serial No. 690,588. kLNo model.)

To call whom it may conccrn:

Be it known that I, ANDR DAUVERGNE, a citizen of the Republic of France,residing at Lyons, France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Folding Fabrics, of which the following isa full, clear, and 'exact description.

The machine which forms the subject of the present application has forits object the folding of fabrics in regular folds and of (leterminedlengths. It is composed in principle of a double or split rule, throughwhich passes the fabric.' This rule reoeives a to-and-fro horizontalmovement to form the folds and a movement of rotation upon itself at thetwo extremities of its course to present the folds to a series of clipswhich hold them when once forned.

The accoinpanying drawings represent at Figures 1 to &the relativemovements of these essential parts. Figs. 5 and 6 show, by way ofexample, an elevation and a plan of a inachine for obtaining thesemovements. Fig. 7 is a detail View of part of the inechanism.

The principal part ofthe apparatus for folding is the double or splitrule, which is coniposed of two juxtaposed blades A A, Fig. 1, betweenwhich passes the fabric V, which is folded on a horizontal table P. Theformed folds are held on each side by two series of clips B and C, whichlift up alternately and one after the other, so as never to leave thefabric nnheld. The rule A Ais moved alternately from one fold toanother. It can, moreover, turn upon the trunnions O with which itsextrenities are furnished. During its travel in one direction or theother its faces are Vertical, as in Fig. l. Arriving near the clips itmakes a quarter-revolution and takes the position shown in Fig. 2 tolead the fold of the fabric above the preceding folds and below theclips B, which are lit'ted up while the clips C hold the precedingfolds. Before the rule commences its return journey the clips Bredescend, and by en teringthe notches a a, Fig. 6, with which the ruleis provided, have seized the fold just brought by this latter. The ruleA A can then return in the contrary direction, again becoming vertical,which it is shown in the act of doing in Fig.

3. The clips C, which were engaged between the last two folds, arewithdrawn, 'becoming disengaged by a backward movement and have returnedand taken the position shown at Fig. 3, ready to be lowered onto thefabric when the clips B are again raised. These same oper ations arerepeated at the right for the following fold. As the thickness of thefolded fabric increases the table P descends either by hand orautomatically in order that the folding always takes place atthe sameheight. The same result would be obtained if the blades A- A, whichconpose the rule, were juxtaposed in the same plane; hutthen the rulewould make a complete revolution before arriving under the clips. Fig.et shows this arrangenent. During its travel the rule A A is horizontaland the fabric traverses it, as the figure shows. The rotation at theextremities takes place in the direction indicated by the arrow. Thefirst half-turn brings the fabric to the position A', and the completeturn brings it to the position A where it is ready to be seized by theclips arranged as previously described. The horizontal rule, Fig. 4, isforned on its two sides with notches similar to those shown ataa, Fig.(3. Ifit is thought that the notches might injure the fabric they mightin both cases be covered with a co vering-pieoe having sniooth edgeswhich would be removed only at the moment when the clips B come to seizethe fabric. When heavy or stitf fabrics are to be folded, it is foundconvenient in order to strain neither the rule nor the-fabric to deliverthis latter to the rule by a roller R,

traveling at the same speed as the folding is taking place.

The parts above mentioned may be operated by any appropriate nechanical1noveinents. Those hereinafter described are only given by way ofexample.

Fig. is an elevation of the machine. Fig. 6 is a plan thereof, and Fig.7 a detail of construction.

The trunnions of the rule A A are carried by two carriages D D, slidinghorizontally on the f'ame G G of the machine. These carriages areconstructed of two arns E E coupled together, receiving an oscillatingmovement by the rod F and the crank-pin on the rotating disk H.

At each end of the machine the two series IOO 'of clips B and C, actingalternately on the whole width of the fabric, oscillate on a fixed shaftI. They are made to bear on the fabric by independent springs y (shown,for example, in Fig. 4) and released at the desired tines by camsmounted on a shaft J, which, toward the end of the journey of the rule,re- 'ceives an oscillating movement by means of the lever K, which hasbeen moved by the push-piece L, fixed to the carriage D.` The clips C,which receive abackward movement before rising by means of the springsz, Fig. 2, are capable of sliding on the shaft I', and the cams whichoperate them forwardly are shaped in suchla way as to give thismovement. The clips are covered with a material more or less hard orsoft, according to the class of fabric to be folded. The rotation of'the rule is obtained by a pin-wheel M, Fig. 6,

- revolution at the end of each traverse and re turns it into positionin the first moments of the traverse in the contrary direction. Thisposition is assured during the travel of the rule by a spring-catch S,which engages with a notch in the wheel.

In the case of the horizontal rule shown at Fig. 4: the nechanisnremains the same, with the exception that the rack N has a sufficientlength to cause the rule to make a complete revolution.

In order to be able to vary the length of the folds, the clips B and Cand the rack N are nounted on two movable carriers T T, which mayapproach or recede from each other synmetrically The travel of the ruleis accordingly regulated by displacing the trunnion or aXis of the'otating disk H, which is moved by means of a screw in the slide U.

Finally, the invention is not limited to the mechanical means which areabove described by way of example only.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. A machine for folding fabrics comprising a rule formed of twoparallel blades between which the fabric passes, means for imparting-tosaid rule, a horizontal traveling movement, two sets of clips at eachend of the line of travel of said rule, and means for alternatelyOperating the clips of each set whereby one or the other of said clipsis always in engagement with the folded edge of the cloth, substantiallyas described.

2. A machine for folding fabrics comprising a rule formed of twoparallel blades between which ,the .fabric to be folded passes, meansfor imparting to said rule a horizontal traveling movement and also arotary motion on its own axis, two sets of clips at each end of the lineof travel of said rule, and means for alternately Operating the clips ofeach set to cause them to alternatcly engage and release the foldededges, substantially as described.

3. A machine for folding fabrics comprising a rule formed of twoparallel blades having notched edges, means for imparting to said rule ahorizontal traveling movement, and simultaneously a rotary motion on itsown axis, a set of` clips at each end ol" the line of` movement of therule arranged to aline with the notches in the rule, means for rockingsaid clips to cause them to engage and release the freshly-folded edgeof the cloth, a second set of clips interposed between the clips of eachof the first sets, and means for giving said clips a combined rockingand re-

